I was suitably impressed with the surprise-from-left-field
IPA from Fifty West, and I figured I would seek out more of their delicious nectar. For this second sampling, I'm going for the
white ale, and they tend to bounce around in my ratings, but they generally score above average. Most of you will know the style from the very good (although often maligned)
Blue Moon Belgian White, and most people just refer to this as a "Blue Moon" as if they only have one style.
The white ale is unsurprisingly not white. It makes me wonder if the person (or people) who named it had ever seen milk before. Instead of white, this beer is clear amber-brass with a reasonable white head that is gone within a minute or so. A light dusting of bubbles here and there are all that tells you this is carbonated. The aroma is crisp cracker malt and lemongrass.
First sip is more complicated than the smell, and it presents a bit of tartness with coriander, lemons, and cracker malt. I'm still going to say it's crisp, but the tartness makes that a bit more muddled. On the whole, the sip isn't offensive, but it doesn't spark joy. It's just okay.
Tip-in is mild carbonation tingle with pronounced orange and the tartness turned slightly sour. The middle arrives with the cracker malt up front, coriander, and lemons spritzed all over the mouth. The finish is a bit tart, more coriander, and crackers.
Bottom Line: Drunk properly, this is a good enough ale to drink on a warm night.
2.5/5